Excavating chain and bucket mechanism



Feb. 2, 1954 A. R. ASKUE EXCAVATING CHAIN AND BUCKET MECHANISM Original Filed April 13, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ALDf/ET El is/ran:

Feb. 2, 1954 ASKUE 2,667,709

EXCAVATING CHAIN AND BUCKET MECHANISM Original Filed April 13, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 55 44 f0 52 E J 4a 4a .3 I 4 l 3 Ti m? M f Y 5 52 "i 45 3 33 3/3313 4 m 5/40 ,r S

if I 31435, I P S;

IN VEN TOR. 1316667 frT'Asnoz- B FTTOKNEYJ Patented Feb. 2, 1 954 1" i- EXCAVATING CHAIN AND BUCKET MECHANISM Albert R. Askue, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Trencher Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Original application April 13, 1949, Serial No.

87,217. Divided and this application May 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,242

(Cl. iii-83) 1 Claim.

1 This application is a division of my copending application filed April 13, 1949, and assigned Serial No. 87,217.

The present invention relates to improvements The improved excavating chain and bucket mechanism, with which the present invention is particularly concerned, is incorporated in an excavating unit [4 which is mounted on the frame in trench excavating machines and is especially 5 ill rearwardly of the tractor belts M. This unit concerned with the provision of an improved soil is arranged to be selectively positioned for the exexcavating and elevating unit or chain to facilicavation of trenches of various depth, or to be tate the construction of light. weight trench exraised out of the ground to an idle position. The cavating machine of the type used to excavate excavating unit is the basis of my copending apfor public utility service lines, i. e., to excavate plication filed May 25, 1950, and assigned Serial trenches between the curb and dwellings to en- No. 164,241. Briefly, this unit includes a verable the laying of underground gas, water, or tically extending frame ll, comprising a substansewer service lines, and the like. These, accordtially rectangular box-like structure having a ingly, are the general objects of the present insprocket wheel 2!} rotatably mounted adjacent vention. its upper end and a wheel 21 rotatably mounted A more specific object of the invention is the at its lower end and spaced from the sprocket provision of an excavating chain and bucket unit wheel 20. for a trenching machine which will be compact, The excavator belt or chain It is in the form light in weight, exceedingly rugged in its conof an endless belt and is looped abo-ut the sprocket struction, and capable of high speed operation wheel 20 and the wheel 2|. The sprocket wheel under various soil conditions. 20 is drivingly secured to a shaft 22 journalled in Other objects and advantages of the invention bearings 23 which are secured to the top wall of Will become more pp t m the o owi the frame I1, and into which the sprocket wheel description, reference being had to the accom- 20 projects. The periphery of the sprocket wheel De d w in which a p e d bod 25 20 is substantially hexagonal. A chain driving ment of the invention is illustrated. The essenlug 25 extend outward from each face 26 of the tial novel features of the invention will be sumsprocket wheel 20. These lugs are positioned at marized in the claims. the forward end of their respective sprocket In h drawings, 1 is a side elevation of an wheel faces 26 and are somewhat narrower than excavating machine lu t ati g an e eavat 0 such faces so as to drivingly engage the excavati having the p v excavating chain a ing chain I6, as will be hereinafter more fully bucket assembly in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a d ribed horizontal transverse section through the exca- The lower chain supporting member or wheel Vatihg u t plane of Which is indicated y 2! is freely rotatable and comprises a hexagonal the lines 2 0n Figs- 1 a d 3; 3 is an e surfaced member similar in size and contour to larged, substantially vertical longitudinal section th t of th sprocket, h l 20, and which engages taken thro h h x vatin unit, h plane of the links of the chain It as shown in Fig. 3. This the section being indicated by the lines 3-3 on member has no chain engaging teeth but is pro- Figs- 4 a d 5 are sectional details of the e vided with a pair of side flanges 21 which retain eevatihg Chain a d bu unit, the planes O the the chain in position thereon. The wheel 2| is Sections being indicated y the correspondingly journalled on a spindle 28 carried by the forked numb red lines on and 6 is an lower end 29 of a rectangular post 30. The upper larged i elevati of a Portion of t eXCaVatend of this post telescopically embraces the lower i in r q ir d f r ne ex vatin b k end of a correspondingly shaped downwardly exh mpr v d avati chain a d u k t tending. post 31 of the excavator frame ll. unit has been illustrated in. connection the excavator chain is tensioned or main... xcavati ma f my ccpendine p tamed taut by a coil spring 32 which is intertion heretofore me tioned- B fly, t posed between the telescoping members 3!] and chin p is s a ma n f am l0 supp t d y a 3|. As shown in Fig. 3, bolts 33 are secured to pair of tractor or crawler belts H. A power unit, the bottom of the fra 1 and extend down or motor I2, is mounted on the frame In and is wardly therefrom, passing freely through opensuitably connected to drive the crawlers II and ings in flanges 34 carried by the telescoping post to actuate the excavating chain It of an excavat- 30. These bolts have heads 35 which limit the ing unit [4. Suitable manually operable condownward movement of the lower chain supporttrols are provided to enable the operator to control the actuation of the machine as desired.

ing member 2|. p

The excavator chain and bucket mechanism It 'be pivotally connected thereto by a pin 39.

flat rectangular plate 40 is secured to each chain link 36. These plates are each provided with a lug M which projects inwardly from the plate into the space between the fork of its respective chain and link and is secured thereto by a pin 42. The plates 48, when on the relatively straight stretches of the chain extending between the two supporting members 20 and 2|, abut each other in an end to end relation, thus forming a substantially continuous surface on such chain stretches, the width of which is slightly less than the width of the trench to be excavated.

In the embodiment shown, every other plate 4i) carries an outer or spade portion of an ex cavator bucket 25. Each alternate plate 40 is provided with a centrally located outwardly projecting web 45. These webs are parallel with the extent of the chain and project outward at right angles to the surface of the plates 40. Each web :35 carries on its outer edge a plate 46 of substantially the same width as the plates Mi.

Referring to Fig. 6, which illustrates one excavator bucket, it will be noted that the upper edge of the plate 16, with reference to its direction of travel which is indicated in that figure by an arrow, lies substantially in a horizontal plane passing through the upper pivot pin 39 of its supporting link All. As there illustrated, the plate as extends downwardly from said horizontal plane, inclining slightly inward toward its supporting link 35, throughout its portion ll, until it nears a horizontal plane which passes through the lower pivot 39 of its supporting link then continues downward curving more sharply inward to terminate at 51 substantially in contact with the rearmost edge of the plate 58 of the next succeeding link 36. The plate 48.

thus forms the outer wall and spade portion of an excavator bucket, the inner wall of which is formed by two abutting plates All.

The curved portion d3 of each bucket 15 is preferably an arc of a circle scribed from a center which, as the bucket passes around the upper sprocket wheel 28, is coincident with the axis of whee The inclined portion position 41 of each bucket 55 preferably extends tangentially from the curved position. This facilitates the opening of the buckets as they pass around the upper sprocket wheel 20.

The side walls of the buckets are formed by side Walls of a relatively stationary, elongated channel shaped trough 5i! which is carried by the excavator frame ll. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the trough 5i! extends from a horizontal plane relatively close to the lower chain supporting member 2! to a horizontal plane slightly above the axis of the sprocket wheel 2% and is secured to vertically extending spaced angle members 52 carried by the frame ll. The excavating chain it rides in this trough, the side walls 5| of which extend forward substantially to the outermost edge of the buckets i5, thereby closing the sides of the buckets at the forward stretch of the excavator chain,.

The buckets l5 excavate a trench of sufilcient width to clear a path for the trough 50 and the excavator chain support. To this end the forward edge of the spade or plate 45 of each bucket 1 each side wall ill of the trough 59.

i5 is provided with a rooter or cutter 55. These cutters extend substantially along the entire forward edge of their respective buckets, projecting to either side thereof in front of the side walls 5! of the trough 50. Consequent upon the rotation of the chain in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, accompanied by forward movement of the machine, dirt will be removed from the trench and carried to the upper end of the chain.

Inward flexing or bending of the forward stretch of the excavating chain is prevented by a pair of bearing bars or rails 53. As shown in Fig. 4, a bar 53 is secured to the inner surface of These bars extend substantially the entire length of the trough and engage the inner face of the chainplates 40 adjacent their side edges.

As the buckets l5 pass around the sprocket wheel 20, the rearmostedge iii of the plates 45 thereof are separated from the plates 463 of the next succeeding chain link, thus opening the bucket, to permit the excavated material to discharge by gravity. Such material drops to either side of the frame structure ll, falling onto a conveyor 65 which ejects the material from the machine. This conveyor may comprise an endless fiexible belt which extends transversely through the excavator frame ll and which may be driven from the sprocket shaft 3|. A more complete description of a suitable conveyor may be had by reference to either of my copending applications heretofore referred to. E-xcavated material which might be overthrown is deflected downward by a shield 68 carried by the conveyor frame and is gathered by a crumbing shoe 69 which propels it forward into the path of the descending buckets 15.

Each plate :26 is provided with a rectangular opening #9. As the links 36 pass over the sprocket wheel 28 these openings substantially align with the teeth or lugs 25 thereof which projects between the forks of the chain links. The web plates 65 are provided with a similar opening H which align with the opening it. Thus excavated material may be forced outward through such aligned openings by the sprocket wheel lugs, thereby avoiding any damage which otherwise might result from the inadvertent accumulation of excavated material between the chain and of elongated links interconnected to form an.

endless loop, each link comprising an elongated mei'nber having an elongatedtooth receiving slot extending inward from one end and a relatively short lug extending outward from the other end and occupying the outer portion of the slot in the adjacent link, a transverse pin interconnecting such lug with the adjacent link, a plate mounted on each link, each plate having a substantially centrally positioned lug extending outward from one face thereof and seated in the slot of its respective link, said plates forming 5 bucket backs, a transverse pin connecting the link with its respective plate lug, alternate plates having a second longitudinally extending plate secured thereto and projecting outward from its other face intermediate its edges and forming bucket webs, a third plate secured to the outer edge of each web and spaced from the first plate thereby and forming the front walls of the buckets, each of the third plates having its forward edge spaced from the forward edge of its respective first named plate and extending rearwardly and inwardly therefrom terminating substantially in contact with the rear portion of the first named plate of the next succeeding chain link, said first and second named plates 15 1,762,568

- each having openings aligned with each other References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 717,530 Bentson Jan. 6, 1903 779,361 Hanford Jan. 3, 1905 1,108,268 Stahl Aug. 25, 1914 1,419,382 Humphreys et a1. June 13, 1922 Barber June 10, 1930 

